Self-professed 'recovering high-achiever' Katie Cowan on how to navigate big work systems as a sensitive soul. Imagine you’re a high-achiever, kicking goals in a stressful career, but something just isn’t right. You do your best to change the system you’re working in, for others and for yourself, but it doesn’t seem to change anything. Then one day you realise: I can’t do this anymore. So what now?? My guest on this episode is Katie Cowan. Katie describes herself as a “recovering high-achiever”. She was a lawyer, who even started her own legal practice in her 20s. But she is also a deeply sensitive, thoughtful soul. As she describes it now, looking back “I had the intellect but not the constitution for that work”. For Katie, this insight was a hard-won gem that, at first, felt like defeat, but now feels very different. After years out of the workforce forging her own unique recovery path, Katie’s now a coach. She specialises in coaching people who have “particularly intense internal worlds” and often feel like they don’t fit in at work (or anywhere else). Katie’s aim is to help resource these people, because, when they are well supported, Katie says, those are the very people who help resource the rest of the world. Topics covered: – Navigating working in a big system when you’re a sensitive person – The challenge of hiding your struggles in professional settings and its impact on mental health – How Katie tried to change the way the legal profession treats its workers – Recognizing when your chosen career path doesn't align with your internal needs – The importance of building "slack" into work systems for mental wellbeing – "Post-traumatic flourishing" - finding new meaning after major life challenges – Transitioning from a traditional career to one that honors your sensitivity and internal world Content note: there’s a brief discussion in this ep of feeling totally hopeless, to the point of considering life unlivable. (Spoiler alert: that’s not where Katie stays!). Time code is 24:00 to 25:30 if you’d rather skip this bit today :) – Katie’s website: katiecowan.co/ Host: Graham Panther Guest: Katie Cowan What is this thing? More info here: www.bigfeelsatwork.com
 Who made this thing? www.bigfeels.club – If this ep brings up things you want to talk to someone about, you might consider the following help lines: LIFELINE — 13 11 14 SUICIDE CALL BACK SERVICE — 1300 659 467 BEYOND BLUE — 1300 22 46 36 Or outside Australia search search “the country you’re in” plus “mental health crisis line”, e.g. “Canada mental health crisis line”. More resources listed here, including non-crisis peer support options: www.bigfeels.club/need-to-talk